Log inSign up

J'achète cette valise pour lui.

J'achète cette valise pour lui.
I am buying this suitcase for him.
From Lesson 26:Demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces)·French

Questions & Answers about J'achète cette valise pour lui.

Why do we use cette instead of ce or cet?
Because valise (suitcase) is a feminine word. In French, the word for "this" or "that" changes to match the gender of the noun. We use cette for feminine words, ce for masculine words, and cet for masculine words that start with a vowel.
Why is it J'achète and not Je achète?
When short words like je (I) come right before a verb starting with a vowel, the e is dropped and replaced by an apostrophe. This is called elision, and it makes pronunciation smoother!
Why does achète have an accent mark (è) when the dictionary verb acheter does not?
Acheter (to buy) is a stem-changing verb. When we conjugate it for je, tu, il/elle, or ils/elles, we add a grave accent (è) so the vowel sounds like "eh" instead of a weak "uh" sound.
Why does the sentence end with lui for "him"?
Lui is a stressed pronoun. In French, whenever a pronoun comes immediately after a preposition like pour (for), avec (with), or de (of/from), you must use a stressed pronoun. For "him", that word is lui.

Learn J'achète cette valise pour lui and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →